


this love is difficult (but it's real)

by orangeORmango



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-25 15:45:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16663657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orangeORmango/pseuds/orangeORmango
Summary: Everyone keeps on trying to set Choni up but they've been secretly dating for years.





	1. Veronica

**Author's Note:**

> I got the prompt online somewhere, I have no idea where, sorry. I started this a couple months ago and thought it would be fun to bring it back from the dead. Also, the title is from Taylor Swift's 'Love Story'.

“Veronica, pray tell, why did you feel the sudden urge to drag me out to this gay bar?” Cheryl sniffed, carefully setting her purse down on the counter.  
“C’mon, Cheryl, you need to loosen up. Besides, I have a friend I want you to meet.” Veronica smoothed her skirt then sat down.  
“Did it have to be in a bar? Couldn’t we have been introduced to each other somewhere where we aren't breaking the law?” Veronica snorted and called to the bartender for shots. Cheryl gingerly seated herself at the edge of the chair, picking a glass up and throwing it back quickly.  
“Here she is,” Veronica pointed at a pink-haired Southside Serpent. Cheryl choked on her drink. Of course. It was Toni, the girl she had started dating in junior high. The girl she was in love with, the only person who ever truly loved her, besides JJ. “You okay?” Veronica’s voice was slightly slurred as she looked at the cheerleader quizzically.  
“Uh, yeah I’m fine.” Cheryl winced at her less-than-elegant choice of words. Toni grinned when she saw Cheryl. This was going to be interesting.  
“Cheryl!” Veronica shouted, standing up and circling a tan arm around Toni’s waist. Toni gently detached herself from the drunk Lodge. “This is Toni, Cheryl. Toni, this is Cheryl.” Veronica began to babble on and on how amazing the two of them would be together, and would they please just try it out because they would look so cute as a couple.  
“Ronnie, I’m straight.” Cheryl winked at Toni.  
“As a circle!” Veronica snorted, accidentally spilling half her drink down her expensive shirt. She sighed and set the glass heavily down on the sticky table. Cheryl rolled her eyes, pulling Veronica’s arm around her shoulder.  
“Okay, c’mon. Let’s get you home.” Cheryl grunted. Toni held up Veronica on the other side.  
“Looooook,” Veronica slurred. “Friiiiiends alreadyyy,” Toni had to stop and cover her mouth to keep from laughing. Cheryl buried her face in Toni’s neck, shoulders shaking as she fought off the wave of chuckles.  
“What’s sssso funny guyyyyys?” Veronica asked, stumbling a little.  
“Nothing,” Cheryl fought to keep her face straight, but every time she looked at her girlfriend she ended up laughing again.  
“Don’t worry about it, Ronnie,” Toni assured her. “Let’s just get you home.’’  
Cheryl asked Veronica for her phone, who handed it over without hesitation. She opened it up and almost gagged when she saw her wallpaper. She showed it to Toni, who burst out laughing once again. The picture was of a heated Varchie kiss, Veronica straddling Archie’s leg, her arm extended, holding the camera. Cheryl decided to make fun of her later, pulling up Andre’s number and calling him. Several minutes later, Andre swerved over to screech to a halt in front of the sidewalk.  
“Thank God,” Cheryl exclaimed, yanking open the car door and settling Veronica in. Toni was a little less rough and tucked her leg gently underneath the drunken teen. Andre nodded his thanks, then sped back to the Pembrooke. The second the limousine was out of sight, Cheryl wrapped her arm around her short girlfriend and laughed so hard she cried.  
“Oh my god!” Toni gasped into fiery red hair. After laughing for about a minute more, Cheryl had a sobering thought and straightened up.  
“Should we actually tell people, though? That we’re dating? I can handle my mother’s reaction now.”  
Toni pulled a face in an eerie imitation of Penelope. “YoU sHoUlDn’T bE dAtInG sOuThSiDe ScUm, ChErYl, WhY yOu DoN’t FiNd InTerEsT iN mR. rEgInAlD mAnTlE, i WiLl NeVeR uNdErStAnD!” Cheryl choked on her own laughter and Toni had to thump her on her back. Cheryl checked her Apple Watch, it read 11:57.  
“It’s late, Toni. I should go home.” Cheryl sniffed.  
“You could always come back to my trailer,” Toni offered. Cheryl giggled and followed her tiny girlfriend to her motorcycle. “Are you actually going to be able to ride Taylor without screaming every time we turn?”  
“Don’t pretend you don’t love to hear me scream.” Cheryl scoffed. Toni thought she heard Cheryl chuckle, but she couldn’t be sure. She was rather distracted by the redhead’s quickened breathing on her ear. Toni shivered and flicked the throttle.

After leaving Toni’s trailer, Cheryl returned home with pink cheeks and a smile, a rare sight on the teenager’s face. The happy expression quickly was quickly covered by a mask of indifference when she opened the front door.  
“Cheryl, is that you?” Penelope’s cold voice carried across the drafty halls.  
“No, Mumsie, it’s the Tooth Fairy. Yes, of course it’s me!” Cheryl snapped.  
“Don’t talk back to me,” Penelope hissed, gliding into the room. “I didn’t know it was you, it could have been one of my clients.”  
Cheryl rolled her eyes then stalked up to her room. “I have to study,” she lied. The redhead flopped across her bed, then curled up and scrolled through some fanfiction titled ‘It Hardly Seems Fair’. Cheryl wasn’t really paying attention, just gave up trying to make her eyes work and fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been posting a lot because I have nothing better to do, but once my break from school ends I will be writing less. I'll try to update every Saturday, but no guarantees. :)


	2. Kevin

Cheryl woke up with a funny taste in her mouth, and sat up so suddenly it made the room whirl around her. She groaned and stumbled into bathroom to take a shower in the dark, which was kind of like a couple extra minutes of sleeping for her. She ran a brush through her hair a couple times and threw on clothes and makeup. She was out the door before her homophobic mother woke up. She hopped into Jason’s car and drove quickly to school, listening to Toni’s favorite songs because she promised she would.  
Cheryl arrived at school very early, so she sat in the car reading some more fan fiction. After Betty had unpeeled herself from Veronica’s lips long enough to talk, she had recommended Cheryl read some fan fiction. She also mentioned that if you didn’t like the way the story line went, you could rewrite the way you wanted it to go. Cheryl had stopped listening at that point. While she was waiting for the school to open, then thumbed through one called ‘Aftermath’. She was about to click on another by the same author, but was interrupted by Sweet Pea banging on her car windshield.  
“What do you think you’re doing?” Cheryl screeched at him. “I swear to god, Sweet Pea, if you so much as chip the paint on Jason’s car, I will strangle you!”  
“Geez, lighten up Bombshell.” Sweet Pea snorted, clearly not intimidated by the redhead’s fit of rage. “I was going to suggest all the Serpents go in together, but if you’re too busy stalking Toni’s Instagram or something hang back.”  
“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Cheryl grumbled, climbing out of the car. 

Cheryl sighed in exasperation. Of course. Her River Vixen’s had split up and were hanging around the football team and the wannabes, so she had nowhere to sit. She ruled out sitting alone, because that would seem pathetic for Riverdale’s IT girl. That only left Sad Breakfast Club. Oh well. At least she could be near Toni for lunch.  
“Hello, Scooby Gang.” Cheryl flashed them a fake smile. Betty looked like she was half-asleep in Veronica’s lap, and Kevin was stealing food from Fang’s tray. Archie had a pained look on his face as she sat down. Toni looked up at her, surprised.  
“Hi, Cheryl.” Jughead replied in a monotone.  
“Hobo. You’re still here, I see. Haven’t killed yourself from sleep deprivation yet?” Jughead glared at her then shut up.  
“Wait a second, Cheryl is that a hickey on your neck?” Kevin asked, squinting at her neck.  
“What?” Veronica’s head snapped up, startling Betty awake. “Really?” Cheryl squirmed and moved her collar to cover it. Toni looked like she was about to burst out laughing, her entire face was as red as her girlfriend’s hair.  
“Ooh, who’s the lucky man? Ronnie squealed. “Or lady.” She tacked on the end.  
“It’s no one!’ Cheryl glared and shoveled in her lunch. Anything to get away from these way too observant gossip queens.  
“Mm-hmm.” Kevin said sarcastically. “My gaydar is impeccable, and I am getting some very non-straight vibes from you right now.”


	3. Sweet Pea and Fangs

After school Toni, Sweet Pea, and Fangs huddled underneath a large oak tree after school. They were discussing certain movies they could go see once the Bijou was showing anything interesting. Toni didn’t find any of this particularly engrossing, so she let her mind wander off. Immediately, her mind went to her closeted girlfriend. She was thinking about maybe skipping school to take her out, but she knew she would probably refuse to maintain her 4.0 GPA.  
“Hey, Tiny!” Fangs chuckled, waving a hand in her face. “Whatcha thinking about?”  
“Someone.” Toni’s response slipped out seemingly without her permission.  
“Ooh!” Sweet Pea squealed. Honestly, he and Fangs were such children sometimes. “Toni has a crush, Toni has a crush!”  
“I bet it’s Cheryl.” Fangs chimed in. “If you actually think about it, they would be really cute together.”  
“Yeah,” Sweet Pea said thoughtfully, rubbing his nonexistent beard. “You should ask her out, Tiny. I’m sure she would say yes.”  
“No, no, no!” Toni argued, trying to back out of the mess she had walked into. “I don’t like her, she doesn’t like me. Clear?”  
“Unless,” Fangs went on, ignoring Toni, to her great annoyance. “They’re already dating and she’s hiding it! It’s like a really badly written AU fan fiction by a middle schooler!” At this point Toni couldn’t take it anymore. She huffed and walked off to find Cheryl, pretending not to hear their protests. Ugh. She had to talk to Cheryl about coming clean about their relationship, it was becoming too stressful and difficult to keep hiding it. When she spoke to her, Cheryl agreed.  
“Tomorrow,” she promised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so short guys, I'm still new to writing fan fiction so I don't I have it in me to sit down and write something long and with actual meaning.


	4. The Tea is Spilled

Toni and Cheryl held each other’s hands tightly as they walked toward the table where the Core Four and the Serpents sat together. Ronnie immediately perked up.  
“Well, well, well.” Veronica smirked.  
“Please, spill the tea!” Kevin demanded, leaning across the table. The rest of the group looked at them, vaguely interested.   
“Toni and I are dating.” Cheryl said simply, laying her napkin across her lap.  
“Since junior high.” Toni added, shifting closer to her girlfriend.   
“Oh my god!” Fangs exclaimed, bouncing up and down a little. Kevin was definitely rubbing off on him.  
“I knew it! You guys are so cute!” Veronica paused. “Who tops?”   
“Aaaaaand we’re done.” Toni threw down her food, where it bounced off her tray and hit Sweet Pea in the face, which prompted him to throw it at Fangs.


End file.
